title: Dasyatispora levantinae gen. et sp. nov., a new microsporidian parasite from the common stingray Dasyatis pastinaca in the eastern Mediterranean.
abstract: A new microsporidian infecting the Mediterranean common stingray Dasyatis pastinaca (Linnaeus, 1758) is described from Iskenderun Bay, Turkey. The parasite invades the disc muscles, producing slender, spindle-shaped subcutaneous swellings that develop into massive, elongated, tumor-like protuberances measuring up to 11 x 4 cm. Severity of the infection may vary from light (1 or 2 small lesions) to intense, with large parts of the dorsal surface covered with lumps and protrusions. These masses contained a yellowish-white caseous substance consisting of degraded host tissue and microsporidian sporophorous vesicles, which in turn contained developing sporonts, sporoblasts and spores. The ripe spore contained a uni-nucleate sporoplasm and large posterior vacuole, and measured 3.8-4.3 x 2.6-2.8 microm. Infection prevalence was 21% in a sample of 143 host individuals examined. All the infected stingray individuals were within the weight class of 300 to 800 g (200 to 305 mm disc width). Phylogenetic analyses of rDNA sequences indicate that this microsporidian belongs to the Pleistophoridae and clusters with species of the genera Ovipleistophora Pekkarinen, Lom & Nilsen, 2002 and Heterosporis Schubert, 1969. However, the morphology, development and host differ distinctly from all reported species, including those belonging to these 2 genera, and it is thus assigned to a newly erected genus and named Dasyatispora levantinae gen. et sp. nov. This is the first record of a microsporidian infection in a batoid. It is also the first microsporidian species to be formally described from an elasmobranch.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Mariculture, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, P.O.B. 1212, Eilat 88112, Israel. diamant@agri.huji.ac.il
authors.forename: Ariel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diamant
authors.forename: Menachem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goren
authors.forename: M Baki
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Yokeş
authors.forename: Bella S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Galil
authors.forename: Yaelle
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Klopman
authors.forename: Dorothée
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Huchon
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szitenberg
authors.forename: S Unsal
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Karhan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D008522:Mediterranean Sea / Q000453:epidemiology; D016814:Microsporidia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009181:Mycoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D058974:Phylogeography; D012860:Skates, Fish